LED flashlights comprise one or more LEDs, one or more batteries, a power switch, and housing. These flashlights may direct their light through a mounted frame of developed film and a projection lens to produce a colored image that can be projected onto an exterior flat surface for viewing.
A projector is a device that uses light to produce an image on a reflective or translucent screen. Slide projectors cast single images while movie projectors cast multiple images sequenced to create the illusion of movement.
Miniature toy projectors have been developed that utilize an LED shining through a slide to project a single fixed image. A series of images forming a slide show or generating an animated image would produce a more compelling toy. Currently existing slide and movie projectors shine light either through a series of film frames moving through the object plane or through digital images on an LCD panel mounted in the object plane. These techniques are highly effective but have drawbacks such as high weight, large size, high power requirements, high cost, and, when moving parts are used, mechanical complexity.
What is needed is a simple, low cost, miniature LED projector capable of displaying multiple images.
Accordingly, several advantages of one or more aspects of the current invention are:
(a) to provide a multiple image LED projector that is miniature in size and weight;
(b) to provide a multiple image LED projector that is inexpensive to produce;
(c) to provide a multiple image LED projector that has no moving parts;
(d) to provide a low power multiple image LED projector;
(e) to provide a multiple image LED projector that can used as a component in toys or other devices such as promotional items;
(f) to provide a multiple image projector that need not be focused for varying projection distances.